A Thankful Stroll Down Memory Lane

This post marks the last post of November - only two weeks since visiting my parents in New York and two days since celebrating Thanksgiving. Before bidding farewell to this month and getting caught up in the excitement of next month, I thought I would share some final things for which I am grateful.

I am grateful for where I grew up. This little town sits on a peninsula of water - beautiful, serene, and with all the creature comforts of a small town. BUT, the Douglaston Manor is just thirty minutes out side of Manhattan, which is to say, that in addition to sailing boats we can hop on a train and experience the best of what the city has to offer. It is a truly special place.

A point worth making.... One of the reasons this place remains quaint (even historical) is because a small group of committed people fight relentlessly against the massive development and homogenization being pursued by commercial developers. I am thankful to my mother and my father who are part of the committed few fighting to keep the neighborhood from being commercialized.

Below is a small slide show of my folk's house (the same house they lived in for the past 48 years), our block - Hollywood Avenue, and the surrounding neighborhood. I like the idea of sharing these pictures with you, because it's part of who I am.

The other thing for which I am grateful is my mother's sense of aesthetics (and creativity). I always love coming home, because my mother has a great eye and, inevitably, she has rearranged small nooks and crannies around the house. Somehow my mom can take simple items and display them in such a way that they look important. I didn't inherit that same sense of style, but I know enough to know it is quality worth appreciating. Maybe these aren't the best examples, but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about.

So today, let's share our appreciation for places that are near and dear to our hearts. Describe a spot on the map that, when you close your eyes, you remember vividly and with fond memories. For me, it is the Douglaston Manor, in Douglaston, New York. How about you?

Maybe I'll get to learn a little more about each of you today. And, for that, I would be grateful.

Signing off until Monday... when we host our second Friendship Party, featuring a week of inexpensive gift ideas!

P.S.  648 licks to the center of my Tootsie Pop.  Richard is questioning my Tootsie Pop eating technique.  What can I say?  That's what it took.  Six hundred forty eight licks.  Maureen, your vote of 223 came the closest, making you the winner!

Black Friday: Whooo, Whooo is Shopping?

By the sound of it, everyone had a nice Thanksgiving.  Ours was no different!  The company was great, the food was delicious, and the night was capped off with coffee and pumpkin pie from Richard's infamous espresso machine.  

Special thanks to Maureen who shared her last minute idea about the Tree of Gratitude.  Matthew and I took a walk at the local park to gather branches.  I bound the branches together with raffia, hung paper leaves so people could note the things for which they were thankful, and stuck it in a vase.  Easy, peasy, but it was a nice addition.

Also, yesterday Chaotic shared her blog address, so you could check out a picture of the fun turkandles (fun name, Chaotic) she made for the host of her Thanksgiving dinner.  They were CUTE and a great variation on the ones I made (I wish I would have seen hers first!).  Incidentally, live and learn.  If I were doing mine over, I would use tissue paper in a variety of fall colors (as opposed to just yellow and orange).  It would have added dimension to the flock to see turkey in different fall color combinations. 

Now onto the business of today.  Shopping!  

I've arranged a fun little gig for the readers of Highlowaha.  I hope you can get as excited about it as I am.  In the town where I live, we have the cutest little toy store.  It is the equivalent to Meg Ryan's quaint bookstore (The Shop Around the Corner) in the movie, You've Got Mail.  There are no isles - just quaint little nooks and crannies stuffed with all sorts of novel items that you'd be hard pressed to find somewhere else.  Shopping in this store is like being on a treasure hunt.  Total stimulus everywhere you turn.

The toy store is called the, Owl's Nest.  Smack in the middle of the store is a a big tree with expansive branches.  The leaves and branches automatically make you feel perched in a nest, chock full of curiosities.  The owner has an impeccable sense of detail, meaning the store is masterfully laid out and the epitome of what a toy store ought to feel like.  Add to it, their beautiful wrapping (and that coming from someone who LOVES packaging) and you have the ultimate toy store.

In honor of Black Friday, here's what I'm proposing...  Kids or no kids, Texas resident or not, join us for this fun holiday shopping experience.

North Texas readers (Grapevine, Euless, Bedford, Arlington, Addison, Denton, Grand Prairie, Addison, Richardson, Southlake, Irving, and Dallas, ) join me on Saturday, December 7 in visiting the Owl's Nest.  Our assignment... scour the store for the one "hot find" you want to tell our readers about (name of item, age range, cost, general description, etc...).  For some added fun... search the store for the hidden Ray and you will earn 10% off  any purchase you make.

There's more.

Not from North Texas?  Have no fear.  We wouldn't dare forget about you.  We want to "pinch shop" for you.  Tell us the sex and age of the person for whom you are seeking the ultimate gift and I will appoint one of our North Texas readers to search for you.  Then, read the blog later that day or on Sunday to find out what treasures we've found.  Decide you actually want the item?  Place an order by simply calling the store on Monday.

And, as if that isn't enough, there's more.  Teams (North Texas shopper + assigned person from another state) will be entered in a drawing.  One lucky "team" will win two lap desks (each personalized and then mailed to your respective homes).  The lap desk colors range to include red, green, blue, pink, purple, yellow.  Boys and girls alike will love one!

One more thing.  North Texas readers, this is a PATCH YIELDING EVENT!  To earn you own great owl patch, simply (1) Visit the store on Saturday, December 7, (2) post your review of a favorite item, and (3) window shop for an out-of-state reader.  Tell me you're in, so I know whether I can pair you with a non-North Texan.  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Visit the post titled, Patchwork (8/7).

O.k., I'm having fun with this.  One more thing.  I was in the Owl's Nest the other day and - of course - found a "have-to holiday accessory"  Come closest to guessing how many licks it took me to eat a Tootsie Pop and you win the accessory.

Still don't know what to write about?  Tell us if you're a Black Friday Shopper or a Shopping Scrooge.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Psst... It's Me...

Rayflower here.  Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

Claudia's asleep.  It was a late night of glue guns and feathers.  I snuck in and turned off her alarm.  She needed the sleep and she'll just blame Richard so it's OK.  She had some big plans to set up the table and show off her turkey lights.  For some reason she is completely enamored with turkeys.  Apparently, they're the simple, universal and cute symbol for Thanksgiving.  Well, gobble gobble.  No picture taking for Claudia.  I've beaten her to the punch.  The turkeys were all recovering from the hot glue treatment but I grabbed them anyway.  I set the table, lit the turkey lights (be careful, turkey feathers are flammable and they don't smell good when they burn) and took a few pictures.  Here's one.

A few of the turkeys expressed concern about having to witness a real turkey being eaten.  I figured since I burned a couple of them so badly I couldn't really argue. I grabbed them all up and moved them to the mantle.  

They look happier there.  Don't expect to see these pictures anywhere else.  I took the memory card out of Claudia's camera.  I hid it under Matthew's pillow.  Hah!

Well, my work here is done.  Have a happy Thanksgiving and save me a turkey leg..........sorry turkeys.

Rayflower Out.

Thanksgiving Eve: The Final Push

I'll be quick.  If you have as many items left on your to-do list as I have on mine then you don't have much time to spare.

• Menu and shopping done.
  
• Napkins and table cloth ironed.
  
• Centerpiece underway.
  
• Craft project less than half done
  
• Silver still waiting to be polished
  
• Straightening and cleaning... no sense in starting too early.
  
• Boys outfits still need to be ironed.
  
• Come to think of it, what will I wear?  Dig through closet.
  

Then I had another idea.  Wouldn't Pin The Feather on the Turkey be a fun game to play with the kids?  Maybe I can eek in just one more project.  I think I have everything I need: white banner paper, paint, and paint brushes.  Draw the turkey, have the boys paint it, add tape to cut-out feathers.  If I want to get really serious, I suppose I could get a prize.

• Swing by Dollar Bin at Target to find a prize and some consolation treats.
  

Then I ran across a timely website and I started thinking... wouldn't Thanksgiving trivia at dinner be fun?  

No worries.  I'm not squeezing it into my list of things to do.  It's not exactly up my father in-law's alley and I don't have the time.  Maybe next year.

But you?  You could make it happen.  If nothing else.  Take a second and look at this site http://www.history.com/minisites/thanksgiving/.  It includes fun football facts; 15 things you didn't know about Thanksgiving; and truths about many of our favorite Thanksgiving myths.  If you haven't made place cards yet, you could place a question on the back of each place card!  Fun, fun, fun.

A couple more things then I'm done for today.

Yes, there will be a post tomorrow.  Many of you feel like family to me now, so I'd love it if you could check once during the day and let me know what you're up to.  When did you eat?  Are you watching football?  What was your favorite dish? Are you stuffed or going back for seconds?  You know, pick a topic and fill us in.

Today many of us will be hitting the road.  But, before you go...  Tell us what your thankful for this year.  I'll go first.  Mine is easy.  I am thankful my parents are still healthy.  And, of course, I am thankful for my three boys and a husband who is my perfect match.  Oh, and I suppose I'm also thankful for Starbucks, Sharpie Markers, and CNN's David Gergen.

Speaking of thankful... and then I'm done.  If you haven't already (and are able), consider purchasing an item for the family we adopted this holiday season.  Check out the Helping Hand link (top right hand corner of the page) for some ideas of what the family could use.  We are trying to bring closure to our portion of the initiative.  Christmas will be here before you know it and we need to leave time to get the items from Tera in Ohio to the family in PA, sometime between now and Christmas.  Items (or last minute donations) can be mailed to Tera at: 2590 N. Moreland, Apt. E22, Shaker Heights, OH 44120.

Signing off until tomorrow...

Turkey Talk

Announcements at the end...

Today's post is more about the aspiration of a creative idea than it is about the completion of a creative idea.  Thanksgiving is two work days away and my list of things to do is growing.  Iron napkins, steam table cloth, polish silver, straighten house, shop for final grocery items, oh... and crafts.  Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same if we didn't create some kind of festive craft for the dinner table.  The question is what?

Last year we wove fun Thanksgiving place mats.  Over, under, over, under, over, using fall colored construction paper and then laminated.  I'd love to show the place mats to you, but I lost them.  It's o.k. though. Remember, we try never to use the same idea twice.

We also used paint, feathers, foam, construction paper, and hot glue to turn a clay pot into a turkey.  It was a decorative way to display each person's account of those things for which they were giving thanks.  I'd love to show you that too, but it must be safely tucked away with the place mats.  

What about this year?  Not sure yet, but take a look at the three finalists...

Turkey votive candle holders

Corn on the Cob Crackers

Cardboard Turkey Basket

So, what do you think?  Which one do you think will make it to my dining room table on Thanksgiving morning?  Find out on Thursday when I post a picture of our table!

Now, how about you?  What preparations are you still making?  Finding recipes?  Picking out a new outfit?  Cleaning your house?  Tell us.  You'll feel better.

Now for some quick announcements...

• Christmas Conversation Cards: Sales were good yesterday.  We sold eight of the twelve boxes of Christmas Conversation Cards.  They make a great gift for a friend, neighbor, teacher, or holiday hostess.  Your family will also want a deck to help them get in the holiday spirit.  Order today and the beautiful box can be sitting on your dinner table by December 1.   $15.00, includes shipping.
• Helping Hands:  Today I mail a check to Tera for exactly $380.00.  Thank you to everyone who was able to get their check to me on time.  If you are still hoping to pay your Blog-a-thon sponsorship, please mail it directly to Tera Johnson (unless you and I have already made an arrangement).  Her mailing address is: 2590 N. Moreland, Apt. E22, Shaker Heights, OH., 44120.
  
• Paint the Town Red:  Yesterday I mailed Highlowaha's designated Regional Coke Directors hang tags, so that they may start a Coke Kindness Chain in their region.  Our goal is to keep each Kindness Chain going until Valentine's Day!  Wanna start one in your community?  Send me an email at cbeeny@lslog.com and I'll let you know how.  It's easy and the impact will be big!  P.S.  The holidays are coming, so make sure you have lots of Coke products available for your guests (then send Heather your Reward Codes).  Don't know what I'm talking about?  Check out the post from Saturday (11/22).  
  
• Highlowaha Friendship Party:  None of last week's participants was prepared to take on role of Party Host.  The invitation is wide open.  Volunteer to "host" (gather six readers and pick a topic) a party in February and earn the letter writing caddy I was prepared to give away on Saturday. 
  
• Festival of Lights Virtual Party:  Mark your calendars for Sunday, December 14.  Beginning at 8:00, I'll post a short slide show of all our readers' Christmas trees (and other holiday decorations).  Then we'll have a lively ornament exchange.  To participate, send Katie a picture of your decorated Christmas tree, menorah, or other holiday decoration.  Participating in the ornament exchange?  Send her a picture of your ornament unwrapped AND wrapped!  Deadline for submissions, December 12 at 5:00 p.m. 
  

Signing off until tomorrow... when there will only be one more work day until Thanksgiving Day!

And Now...

A word from our sponsor.  O.k., we don't really have a sponsor, but this is a commercial break.

Festive holiday tin, plus 50 question cards

"From the creative readers of Highlowaha comes the most unique, most thoughtful, and most talked about gift of this holiday season. 

Christmas Conversation Cards.  It's not just a deck of cards... it's a celebration of everything we love about the holiday season.  Memory lane in a box.  Just one card can have your family and guests laughing and reminiscing for hours about memories of Christmases past. 

Although other holiday cards or books might exist,  none compare to these.  Fifty questions, all generated by readers of Highlowaha during our Christmas in July Extravaganza.  Edited, designed, and beautifully packaged in a durable stainless steel box, these cards make the perfect gift for friends, family, or holiday hosts. 

So forget about boring scarves, tasteless fruitcakes, or impersonal gift cards.  This year give a box of Highlowaha's Christmas Conversation Cards.  Only twelve boxes available, priced at only $15.00 per set - including shipping. 

Remember, if you don't treat your family and friends to a box of these limited edition cards, someone will!  Act now while there is still time.  Order today and your gift will be shipped on Tuesday, November 25, just in time for you and your family to begin enjoying them on Monday, December 1.

To purchase, simply post the words "YE$!" in the comment section.  Want the cards delivered to friends or family across the country?  Just send me an email at cbeeny@lslog.com, including the mailing address and your personalized message, and away your package will go.  Limit two."

And, now back to you...

Let's Get Red!

Heather and friend, Julie

Maple syrup it is, by one measly vote.  Good luck Heather and Susan in your Super Bowl Snack Throw Down.  We are anxious to see what each of you comes up with for your winning recipe.

Today we finish the first ever, Highlowaha Friendship Party.  It has been fun getting to know Laura, Mary Beth, Jessie, Jenny, Mandy, Marie, and Amber and, we hope in the process, allowing this fun group of women to get to know us.  Heather and "The Snowflakes" experienced the daily exchange of creative ideas, participated in our monthly Highlowaha ritual, were invited to our next Virtual Party (Sunday, December 14), shared the excitement of Highlowaha Patchwork, and have even had their voices heard in yesterday's vote for our next secret ingredient.  

But, in the words of Dr. Seuss... "That is not all. Oh, no.  That is not all."

Two more things.  

First, a giveaway to go to one of the six party goers mentioned above.  This giveaway is based on two things.  First, while we have all adopted some new forms of technology for staying in touch with friends, nothing beats Snail Mail.  I heard that repeated a lot last week.  The second thing on which the giveaway is based is my belief that one of the reasons we don't send more Snail Mail is because is because we don't have easy access to the necessary supplies.  If you have to rummage around for paper, pen, and stamps forget about it.  Not going to happen.

I have a caddy similar to the two I am giving away today.  It is chock full of pens, note cards, stickers, and stamps, making it easy to grab the caddy and go.  Sometimes I bring it to Starbucks and sit and have a coffee, while I write a note or two.  Sometimes I bring it to my kitchen table and spread out for thirty minutes or so.  One caddy will go to Heather, the host of last week's party.  The other caddy will go to the "Snow Flake" who volunteers first to host her own Highlowaha party.  Hosting is easy.  Identify six other people you think might enjoy the Highlowaha blog community and pick a party topic!  The party would be scheduled for February.

Next.

Today we introduce our new friends to the thing about our community for which I am probably most proud - the the use of our creativity to help others.  In an effort not to make today's post too long, I won't go in to great description about all the service and fundraising we've done since the blog started ten months ago.  Suffice it to say, that since the first service project opportunity presented itself in April, we've never not been working on serving someone.

I like to say this blog is about where creativity and community meet and l love the idea that we live that concept by putting our money where our mouth.  We, in a sense, help community by employing our creativity.  AND, in the process of creatively working together to help others... build a stronger Highlowaha community.  Hopefully the cycle is as evident to you as it seems to me.

With no further ado, let me get on with Painting the Town Red - a service project for, and in honor of, Heather's long time friend, Julie.  Phase one of this service project has already been launched and you can read all about it by going back to the post labeled, Paint Your Town Red (9/13) .  In that earlier post you will read how we have eight "Regional Directors" spread throughout the country in order to help make our project a success.  You will also see a website you can go to in order to learn more about the illness with which Heather's friend has been diagnosed.

Thanks to Julie S. another Highlowaha reader... today we will roll out Phase II of our service initiative.  Months ago Julie sent me a generous check, supporting another service project.  In that check she sent a little extra money.  She told me to hold onto it and spend it on Highlowaha, however I saw best fit.  Well today Julie, you will see how I've decided the $15.00.

Heather's friend, Julie loves Coke.  In fact our whole service initiative to this point is centered around gathering as many Coke Reward Codes as possible, so Julie can use them to purchase items she couldn't afford to buy.  Julie loves Coke like the readers of Highlowaha love performing Random Acts of Kindness.  Today, the perfect blending of both.

Each of the eight Paint the Town Red Regional Directors will receive in the mail $1.00 plus one set of these hang tags.  The goal... start a Kindness Chain.  The Hang Tags instructs readers to enjoy the Coke left for them, but then to keep the chain going by purchasing someone else a Coke and placing the hang tag over the new bottle.  The hang tag, in turn, instructs recipients to email the Coke Reward number in the top of their lid to Heather.  Goal: Keep the chain going from now until February 14!

So easy and such fun does this idea seem to me, I want to give anyone who is interested the chance to start a Coke Kindness Chain.  If you are interested, just drop me an email at cbeeny@lslog.com and I will forward you the PDF file of the hang tag graphic (special thanks to Sherry for making the hang tag happen, better than I ever could have imagined).  You can then print it off, (laminate it, if you feel so inclined), punch a hole in each of the bottles, and put a metal ring or piece of string through the holes.  Finally, hang it over the bottle and then you are ready for the real fun... deliver it for the person of your choice!

Colored copies at Alphagraphics ($6.72) +  Start-up Cokes $1.00 x 8 Regional Directors ($8.00) = $14.72.  I think, a pretty good use of Julie's money.  So let's do it.  Let's go out and teach the world to sing.

Signing off until Monday...